Current China little or nothing has to do with the abnegated China in growth of the late 90s. Social and labor pressure that is being exercised with the youth of the Z generation that have grown since then it is generating a new social movement: more and more young, exhausted and without resourcesthey are grouped under the term “Rata People.”
SCMP account that “rat people” represents the most extreme version of the Chinese movement “do nothing” (Lying Flat) that, such and as he published BBC, emerged as a form of rebellion against the strenuous working days of 72 hours per week and the 996 work culture (From nine in the morning to nine at night, six days a week). Far from embarrassing, many young people celebrate publicly Its economic dependence of parents and their rejection of the idea that hard work is the only way to success.
A generation in existential crisis and rebellion. According to The published by Business InsiderChinese youth live an existential crisis fed by social and labor pressure. After decades of economic growth, young Chinese of generation Z, are facing a much more competitive labor market than their parents, while they must assume family responsibilities and deal with the high cost of housing. “I refuse to be as a dependent. I defend the name of the rat people,” he claims a user in a message collected by Business Insider.
This situation is aggravated by the education received from Tiger parentsin which parents invest great sums in the education of their children in the hope of ensuring a better future, generating A fierce competition And a feeling of generalized exhaustion.
The Chinese pendulum. Bringing young people to these demand limits has generated a pendulum effect in them from which movements such as “have emerged”So ping“(throw yourself on the floor) and” bai lan “(let it rot), which channel the apathy and disenchantment of a generation that feels No motivation and without perspectives Of the future clear.
These trends have evolved towards more visible forms of protest, such as going to work to work or, directly, withdraw from working life to become “rat people”, which remains all day In bed without doing anythingshowing his fed up with a society that demands sacrifices without offering tangible rewards. “After three years of hard work, I finally made my parents realize that having a job was not generating wealth,” said a young woman in the Chinese Social Network Rednote.
The antithesis of cryptobros. The new Chinese form of philosophical protest is the antithesis of the productivist currents of the badly called Cryptobroswhich presume disciplined routines, early risersand exercise sessions At five in the morning. Zhang Yong, a social worker from the province of Hubei, in downtown China, told SCMP that “rat people” reflected a broader tendency of “social withdrawal” among young people. “It is a passive coping mechanism after setbacks. They reduce social contact and simplify their lives to recover,” said Yong.
While in the West, self -examination and constant effort are glorified, the Chinese young people claim a minimalist and unpretentious lifestyle, deliberately moving away from the success and glamor image that predominates in social networks. “Rat people want to be exactly the opposite of the rest of the self -disciplined and glamorous Internet that goes to the gym,” Ophenia Liang, director of Digital Crew, a marketing agency specialized in Asia in Asia
The cultivation broth. The rise of “rat people” is directly related to China’s economic situation. The country is going through a significant industrial slowdown, in which the IMF foresees a fall in the Growth estimate at 4% by 2025. Weakening of Yuan Chinese and the Tariff war with the US They reflect instability and uncertainty for the country’s economic future.
Youth unemployment is one of the key factors behind this phenomenon. In March 2025, the unemployment rate among young people aged 16 to 24 reached 16.5%, after having touched a historical record of 21.3% in June 2023. For many, even getting a job implies undergoing the exhausting culture “996”, which has led to a part of the youth to completely reject the traditional work model and Find more sustainable alternatives and less sacrificed.
New ways of understanding work and future. According to ERIC FU statements, principal researcher of the Youth Research Collective of the University of Melbourne, popularity these philosophical tendencies between China’s generation should not be seen only as a generational defeat, but as an evolution in the way of understanding work and life.
“This shows that people are beginning to seriously reflect on the work they really want to do and the meaning of their life. It also demonstrates that Chinese society has diversified in a certain sense,” FU recalled. Although many of these young people can afford this lifestyle thanks to their parents’ savings, it does not mean that they want to live like this forever.
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